Summer Reading as a Single Parent: Sowing Seeds of Faith, Focus, and Fun

by Kopper Thatch

a The Kids & Me Guest Writer

Summer often brings with it the promise of sunshine, splash pads, and a little less structure but for single parents, especially single moms juggling it all, it can also feel like a season of overwhelm. In the middle of the busy week, there’s a quiet tool that can refresh both your spirit and your household: reading.

Reading isn’t just for the classroom, it’s for character-building, bonding, and becoming. As Christian parents, we’re called to train up a child in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6), and one powerful way to do that is by building a reading culture at home.

 Modeling Matters: Let Them See You Read

Children of all ages, from toddlers to teens learn best not by what we tell them, but by what we show them. When they see you set aside 20 minutes or more each day for personal reading, it sends a message: “Mommy takes time to grow, too.”

Even if it means reading a devotional while they nap or a chapter of a motivational book while they wind down at night, you’re planting a seed. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be consistent.

Faith-Filled Reading: Feed Your Soul Too

Your reading time isn’t just self-care, it’s soul care. Consider making room for Christian books that uplift you as a woman, a believer, and a mother. Here are a few powerful reads by Christian women authors who understand the weight and beauty of walking this path:

• How to Ditch the How-To: Embracing Grace in Place of Self-Improvement by Tieler Giles – This beautiful, grace-filled read is a reminder to stop striving and start receiving. It’s a must-read for any mama who’s ever felt overwhelmed by doing it all and needs to be reminded that God’s grace really is enough.

  
  

• Hope in the Dark by Jackie Hill Perry–Raw, honest, and rooted in scripture, this book offers encouragement in seasons of doubt or uncertainty something every single parent can relate to.

  
  

• Successful Women Think Differently by Valorie Burton – While not strictly theological, Burton’s book offers wisdom and mindset shifts rooted in biblical principles and motivational strength for any mom navigating life solo.

  
  

 For the Kids: From Board Books to Big Novels

From alphabet books to Young Adult (YA) faith-based fiction, every stage of reading has something to offer. Read aloud with your littles, encourage your tweens to keep a summer book journal, and challenge your high schoolers to dive into books that explore identity, faith, and purpose.

Need help finding age-appropriate books? Your local public library is a goldmine—many offer free summer reading programs, book lists by grade level, and even prize incentives to keep your kids turning pages.

 Build Your Own Home Library—Affordably

Don’t sleep on secondhand blessings! You can grow your home library without breaking the bank by checking out:

• ThriftBooks.com (great for affordable titles, especially Christian reads)

• Local used bookstores

• Library book sales or “Friends of the Library” shelves

• Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood

  
  

You never know what treasure you’ll find when you’re on the lookout for good books.

Let this summer be the one where you and your children grow page by page, moment by moment. Whether it’s five minutes or fifty, what matters is that you show up, open a book, and make space for God to meet you in the stillness.

Your story is still being written, and what a beautiful story it is.